Software & tools for hybrid collaboration

Hybrid workingmeans that the choice of work location and working hours is becoming increasingly flexible. The office is no longer the only place to work, 9 to 5 is no longer the standard for working hours. All of this will have a major impact on how we work together in the future.

However, software & digital workplace tools can help us to improve and simplify collaboration between employees in the office and in remote work. Here we show you which digital collaboration tools you should use to increase productivity in your company.

Desk sharing software

lendis software tools for hybrid collaboration Desksharing

Many companies are already planning to switch to a desk-sharing approach in the post-coronavirus era. Instead of one workstation for each employee, this will be shared with other employees in future. This allows office space to be saved or used for other areas, such as additional conference rooms or meeting zones. However, such a concept requires appropriate organization to ensure that each employee has a workstation available when it is needed.

Desk sharing (or desk hosting) software offers the necessary functions for this. Depending on the approach, you can quickly and clearly see where free workstations are available in the office. Alternatively, workstations can be reserved in advance.

In addition to the management option, most solutions also offer other features, such as reporting options. This means that capacity can be allocated by day, time of day or workstation and equipment can be optimized accordingly.

Well-known providers include:

Cloud-based office solutions

Cloud-based office software is nothing new. However, it is all the more important in hybrid work organizations. Instead of a central company server that can only be accessed via the company network, all documents are stored in one place. Every employee can access the files there at any time and from any location. Simultaneous editing of a document is also no problem in this way.

Well-known providers of corresponding office solutions are:

Collaboration tools for project management

Managing projects efficiently is always a challenge. Corresponding project management solutions are therefore already in use in many companies. Especially in the IT sector with its agile working methods, these tools are indispensable.

If you are no longer in the office every day to discuss ongoing projects and keep each other up to date, project management tools are a useful aid. For managers in particular, they offer an easy way to get an overview of the project status, but also to assess the workload of team members so that they can provide relief if necessary.

The most popular tools with the greatest distribution include:

Communication & data exchange

lendis software tools for hybrid collaboration communication and data exchange

Messaging tools had already secured their place in many companies before coronavirus, as they enable a simple and efficient form of communication. Chat programs can be used to ask short questions without interrupting a colleague's work and files can be sent back and forth quickly. Tool providers are also continuously working on additional functions that further simplify collaboration or allow the integration of other collaboration tools.

Widely used tools include:

Video conference

If a short message is not enough, if there are several people involved or if topics need to be discussed in more detail, video conferencing is a suitable option. The ability to see the person you are talking to also creates a more personal atmosphere. Other features such as the popular "share screen" function help to increase meeting efficiency.

The best-known providers of video conferencing software are:

Virtual offices

Virtual online offices are solutions for corporate collaboration that bring real office life to the screen. The aim is to combine the advantages of the office with those of remote work and improve digital collaboration and social interaction.

In the digital office, for example, people meet at the coffee machine or in the lounge area for a quick chat with colleagues before meeting for a brainstorming session in the conference room or going back to the workplace for focused work.

Well-known providers of digital offices are:

Remote onboarding

lendis software tools for hybrid collaboration remote onboarding

One particular difficulty, especially during the coronavirus lockdown, was onboarding new employees. With hybrid work, new colleagues will increasingly work remotely in the future. Tools offer various functions to make remote onboarding successful.

HR software such as Personio or Kenjo can be used to easily provide all accesses. They clearly show which tasks need to be completed and regularly send automatic reminders to those responsible until they have been completed.

Using the Lendis OS, new employees can easily be equipped with everything they need to work productively from day one. Complete workstations with desks, office chairs and laptops can be put together and rented with just a few clicks. Lendis ensures that everything is ready for your colleagues on their first day at work.

We hope that our article has provided you with helpful software and tool recommendations that will help you and your colleagues work together even more efficiently in the future.

Eric Grieben

Eric Grieben

Eric Grieben, Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Lendis, writes here. Eric is responsible for the heart of Lendis. Together with his team, he ensures that the entire logistics process runs smoothly and ensures the high quality of service for our customers. In his contributions, he shares his knowledge to equip work environments and employees for maximum productivity.